{"id":861568,"date":"2026-03-31T01:39:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T01:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/861568\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:39:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T01:39:23","slug":"semiprecious-stones-coat-kathleen-ryans-oversized-sculptures-of-rotting-food-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/861568\/","title":{"rendered":"Semiprecious Stones Coat Kathleen Ryan’s Oversized Sculptures of Rotting Food \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are thousands upon thousands of types of mold out there. Some you can eat\u2014think the rind on a wheel of brie or a gray fungus known as \u201cnoble rot<\/a>\u201d that gives certain types of grapes an extra sweet flavor for dessert wines. But there are plenty we shouldn\u2019t eat, and when that loaf of bread in the cupboard begins to turn blue-green, it\u2019s definitely time to chuck it in the bin. For Kathleen Ryan<\/a>, the myriad colors and textures of mold continue to inspire larger-than-life sculptures of fruit<\/a> and other foods that, in a way, preserve decay.<\/p>\n

Ryan\u2019s oversized works are characterized by their textural finishes, often using salvaged metal and other materials in addition to an array of colored beads and semiprecious stones to achieve the effects of layered fungi and rot. Recent works such as \u201cBad Lemon (Slice of Paradise)\u201d and \u201cScrewdriver\u201d nod to the realm of cocktails and, by extension, the notion of luxury and even vacations\u2014concepts that somewhat sour within the context of an increasingly vulnerable economy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u201cBad Lemon (Slice of Paradise)\u201d (2024), serpentine, prehnite, azurite in malachite, amazonite, aquamarine, jasper, dolomite, and fuchsite, pyrite, turquoise, labradorite, agate, marble, steel pins on coated polystyrene, Volkswagen fender, 14 x 26 1\/2 x 11 1\/2 inches<\/p>\n

Juxtaposing stones ranging from amethyst and azurite to turquoise and tourmaline with salvaged metal from vintage cars, Ryan\u2019s sculptures evoke an array of associations. She has previously likened their over-the-top scale to the roadside attractions tourists might see along Interstate highways, such as giant doughnuts<\/a> and other foods and animals.<\/p>\n

Like a geode that doesn\u2019t look like much from the outside, works like \u201cBad Lemon (Slice of Paradise)\u201d have two very different personalities, where the metal exterior lets on little about what\u2019s inside. Ryan taps into our appreciation of hidden beauty when opening up an ancient, crystallized stone while simultaneously suggesting the grotesqueness of opening a peach, for example, only to find it rotten inside.<\/p>\n

Some of the works seen here were recently on view at Karma<\/a> in New York, and you can find more on Ryan\u2019s Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Detail of \u201cBad Lemon (Slice of Paradise)\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u201cScrewdriver\u201d (2023), onyx, citrine, rhodonite, garnet, agate, tektite, lava rock, turquoise, aquamarine, serpentine, magnesite, amazonite, black tourmaline, jasper, prehnite, ruby in zoisite, marble, amber, labradorite, smoky quartz, quartz, acrylic, steel pins on coated polystyrene, aluminum umbrella, 68\u2019 AMC Javelin trunk, 77 x 88 x 107 inches<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Detail of \u201cScrewdriver\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>\u201cBad Lemon (Desert)\u201d (2023), citrine, jasper, agate, smoky quartz, quartz, carnelian, calcite, labradorite, amber, sunstone, garnet, unakite, red aventurine, tiger\u2019s eye, tourmaline, hessonite garnet, chrysoprase, lodolite, lepidolite, serpentine, shell, freshwater pearl, glass, steel pins on coated polystyrene, 16 1\/2 x 17 x 14 inches<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>\u201cBad Lemon (Desert)\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Detail of \u201cBad Lemon (Desert)\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Detail of \u201cSunset Strip\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Detail of \u201cSunset Strip\u201d<\/p>\n

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